I’m definitely in the middle of a graphic novel/ comic book phase these days!

Reading Arca a few days ago made me want to go through all the comics I borrowed via Comixology (i.e. this girl is getting through Something is Killing the Children)! Arca also made me request Earthdivers from IDW Publishing because it just sounded so interesting!

Earthdivers is part of IDWs attempt to branch out after the loss of comic licenses such as Ghostbusters and transformers! As someone who hasn’t really read either of these comic series (and I’ve only half watched the Transformers movies because of Megan Fox) this doesn’t mean too much to me besides indicating that we’ll get some really interesting comics from a place that already has a good track record picking out things that most people like!

I also want to thank NetGalley and IDW for a copy of Earthdivers! It also worked out for IDW because I ended up buying the part 2!

Earthdivers #1: Kill Columbus came out on the 5th of October 2022. It’s 35 pages long and seems to be under the horror graphic novels category on Amazon. It’s part of an ongoing series so I’m not sure how many we’ll have at the end! There are 6 at the very least, with episodes 4 and 5 available for pre-order and the cover for number 6 right here! It’s also already set to be a tv series by Disney!

I think its nice that we have Arca and Earthdivers by the same publishers. While Arca is take on those who leave, Earthdivers focuses on those who stay. (Did you get the Elena Ferrante reference?)

Earthdivers is about a group of indigenous survivors who come up with a plan to save the earth by rewriting history to stop the United States from coming into existence. As one of them goes back to the past and tries to change things, the others await the consequences of his actions in the future.

As with any graphic novel, you have to comment on the art, which I just loved! The story itself in this book (it is 35 pages) isn’t much. You get the basic premise and that there will be major hurdles to this plan (and it does get dark); beyond that they can’t do much because of the length. It was enough to get me intrigued, and I ended up purchasing the second part from amazon (via Comixology).

As an adult I’ve stayed away from things involving time travel, I’ve always felt like I wouldn’t vibe with that category (so no Doctor Who or Outlander), but Earthdivers makes me feel as though I should give this genre a try! As someone who did love Time Squad, I will say this is like a grown up dark version of Time Squad where they can only save the world by undoing the creation of a country.

In this short piece of work, we see the beginnings of an adventure. A group of people in the not-too-distant future lament how all the world's problems began because of America and therefore the logical solution was to go back in time to kill Columbus.

An interesting concept, and the artwork is great. The story is cool, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Many thanks to Stephen Graham Jones, Davide Gianfelice, NetGalley, and IDW Publishing for this copy.

This was such a great first volume! I can't wait to see where the next volumes go with the story. I love time travel books so I'm interested to see if they can change history.

The first issue of this series is well-drawn, with very distinct characterisations. The story itself seems like it could be solved in 2 issues, but no doubt there will be trials and problems that spring ul for the characters.

The plot feels very simplistic, there's a lot that is covered in this issue that could have been lengthened out a little, such as character backgrounds and such.

Good, not great, but worth looking for the next issue.

Thank you so much to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.

My dumbass went into this thinking it was a graphic novel, when it is, in fact, a comic book, so imagine my surprise at how few pages there were ! The art style is certainly eye-catching, and we are instantly thrown into the story, but there were elements that I found confusing.

There were several moments where it was difficult to tell what was actual dialogue, and what was someone's thoughts. I'm no stranger to Graphic Novels and Comics, so I was surprised this kept happening. I also had to flip back and forth between pages a few times, because the jump in scences made it seem like a page or two were missing. It just really seemed like we were missing some info.

The motivation for these characters seems to be saving the world, and to do that they need to stop America from being founded. However, we don't really learn more than that in this first volume. If they do succeed on their mission to kill Columbus, then what's stopping someone else from "discovering" America ? What exactly did America do to cause the apocalypse ? The events that the comic describes seem more like the effects of climate change, which is a world wide issue.

Overall, the art and the characters themselves are the main draw for me at the moment. The plot seems weak, but that is something that can be improved as the story progresses. With volume 1 we are definitely left with a ton of questions, and, as always, we'll have to read on to learn more.

Really loved the art style. Sadly I didn't love the story as much. Might check out the next one to see if it gets better.

I'll be honest I am not much of a graphic novel/comic reader, but I love this author so thought I would give it a try. This was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading more!

Stephen Graham Jones provides an interesting concept, to save the world Columbus must die. The story is accompanied by great artwork from Davide Gianfelice I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
Thanks to #NetGalley, and #IDW for the ARC of #Earthdivers.

Another fantastic offering from the brilliant Stephen Graham Jones. The artwork is superb. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you IDW Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of the eArc of Earthdivers #1. I loved it. The art is beautiful, and the story is setup really well for the ongoing comic. I'm really excited to see where things go.

An intriguing start to what promises to be a border-pushing comic series, Earthdivers #1 throws readers right into the action of this new world and shows them the importance of what's at stake within the first few panels.

Set a century or so into the future where climate change has devastated the world and the wealthy and elite abandon the planet for other sanctuaries outside of Earth's orbit, Jones introduces us to a group of Native American characters who seek to go back in time to stop Christopher Columbus from ever discovering North America and the 'New World' in general, therefore staving off the eventual Industrial Revolution that led to the modern-day climate catastrophe of the comic. How do they do this? Simple--they found a cave near Monument Valley before the action on the page starts, and they send one of their group through it and to the shipyards where Columbus's ships wait before setting sail in 1492.

This first issue has everything you want in an introductory issue--an engaging and quick hook, beautiful artwork, crisp and realistic dialogue, and lots of action. While it takes a few pages to truly get a grasp on what's going on--there are parts where we flip back and forth from the future present to the alternative past to the point where the transitions are jarring and seem a bit sudden--the action and overall plot of the story is well established by the time the first five pages passes, and we watch as one of the characters has to kill and then impersonate a sailor to get on board one of Columbus's three ships.

I was surprised at how utterly dark this first issue was, and I mean that in a good way--Jones writes the main character to be realistic in his situation and scenario to the point of killing innocent bystanders, and, over the course of a 30-page comic, ponders deep philosophical questions, such as is it more important to sacrifice an individual for a greater good, or is every life equal and worthy of protection? There is harm to a younger character in the closing pages as well that introduces us readers to the idea that the main character sent back in time will be heartless when needed, and I'm glad Jones chose to adopt a more mature, realistic tone to the comic rather than 'Marvelizing' it, which, given the subject matter of this series, would ring incredibly hollow.

Everything about the art as well, from the illustrations themselves to the coloring, lettering, and inking, is spot on, and it adds both texture and depth to the overall narrative. I never struggled to understand the action taking place on the page, and the colors are both muted and beautiful at appropriate times, enhancing the overall mood of the issue itself.

This is a great start to what promises to be a controversial and thrilling series. When it was first announced that Jones was writing a comic series that sought to kill Christopher Columbus and prevent America from ever having been founded in the first place, I knew it would rankle a certain set of the American population, but I'm here for all of it and more. Native American themes, tribal identities, and issues are touched on briefly throughout the first issue, and I hope Jones dives more into those as the story goes on, especially in the future present storyline of the series. I will be ordering each individual issue as they come out now, and I'm hoping this series continues to get better and better as we discover more about each character and the new reality being formed in the alternative past!

Thanks to NetGalley, IDW, and Stephen Graham Jones & Davide Gianfelice for the digital ARC of Earthdivers #1 in exchange for an honest review.

The first issue teases a true original! It's morally complex, beautifully drawn, and makes me want to know what happens next - everything a first issue should do.

I enjoyed this first issue of Earthdivers. Will be fun seeing where it goes. #Earthdivers1 #NetGalley

I read this comic book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed The Only Good Indiands and I liked the synopsis (lets kill Columbus is such a good premise) but I've found this issue too messy.
There is a back and forth jumping with the two main plots, the present and the past, and it feels sloppy. The story was hard to understand with too much internal dialogue across the pages. This issue was not a good set up, and I think it'd have work better with just the past plot.
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The art is very good, an the best part of the comic in my opinion (although that Columbus was way too handsome). I like the action, the color and the design of the characters. The cover has one of the better compositions I've seen in a while.

Also, Catalan is not a dialect, is a language.

More now please! What a great first issue. Love the premise. The art is stunning. Can’t wait to see where this goes.

Ok, so, people in a dystopian future find a way to travel in time and go back to sabotage Columbus's voyage to the "new world." It's just ok, though, not groundbreaking or even very compelling. It's really wordy for a graphic novel, and a lot of what happens is predictable. Maybe it's supposed to be, to prepare readers for a big jump later? I don't know. It looks good and will attract a lot of readers, but it didn't do much for me.

Very interesting premise here: roughly 100 years in the future, the world has, for all intents and purposes, come to an end. A few Native American people have survived way out in the desert and have discovered a cave that will allow them to go back in time - so of course they decide that if they kill Christopher Columbus, and therefore "America" never happens, they can prevent the apocalypse.

Honestly if I hadn't read the synopsis before jumping in, I would have been very confused. The premise is intriguing but the text and art don't communicate well what's happening - especially worrisome for a first volume that's intended primarily as story set up. I can appreciate re-reading and checking back in a comic for references and details, but I struggle with needing to do that within the same volume just for comprehension.

There are interesting concepts introduced that I hope will be examined more deeply in further volumes, especially the idea of doing bad things for a good cause and who a person making those choices might become. There's a lot of promise for upcoming story! But as an opening hook, this volume is lacking. Tad's part of the story in the past drives the narrative, while the other characters waiting in the future are just sort of there; and the jumping back and forth between the two feels disjointed and keeps either from developing a good flow. The art is dark and dramatic in a great way. The cover - which is what caught my eye in the first place - is absolutely superb. I have hopes that this will continue into something awesome! I'm just not quite sold yet.

*SPOILERS* I don't understand why "Rodrigo" is immediately accepted once he condemns someone else. What happened to the *everything else he's done* that cast suspicion on him from the first? He still can't tie a knot, speaks a foreign language, and has seemingly sabotaged the ship. Those things aren't erased because he said a boy was consorting with the devil.

This is a great premise, and it's intriguing enough as a first issue. I'll definitely continue reading later issues.

Earthdivers #1 brings a great introduction to a different postapocalyptic story. The art and colors are vibrant, and the story is very interesting. If I could summarize my interpretation would be that this comic is a very needed exploration of decolonization through mainstream comics. Highly recommended.